Ernest Chang: Space Rich at The Stallery

“What is Surrealism? It is a cuckoo’s egg placed in a nest with René Magritte’s knowledge.” 

André Breton

(Sorry Ernie, I accidentally wrote a small essay instead of a review of your show)
Why is surrealism relevant to our times again? Shock of the World War I, disillusionment in rationalism, awakening from the lulling belief in the unstoppable progress and greatness of human spirit, frustration with political systems — all that rhymes surprisingly well with our current mixture of hopes and disappointments, with the covid crisis highlighting existing political problems, motion sickness caused by technological and social changes, consumerism, and overall social tiredness. With these sentiments, Space — the last frontier, that we had so many hopes for — can be easily imagined as just yet another tourist location which we will litter with logos and selfies, trinkets and masks, cheap souvenirs and ads. Surrealism was born out of painful disappointment, and in a desperate attempt to find answers and the new path — and maybe even a future for humanity — in the depths of subconscious. Automatic writing and Dada, Marxism and interest in Freudian psychoanalysis, mysticism and religion — Surrealism was much more than just melting clocks and a man with an apple. What’s in the focus of this hypothetical neosurrealism? Social media-induced pressure, biohacking, consumerism, demonstrative hedonism, modern loneliness, and constant novelty seeking. This neosurrealism, imagined by Ernest Chang, gave up on finding the new future path without even trying. That version of human future isn’t bright and is unfortunately quite easy to imagine. Yes, the witty and cute pop-cultural references mask that eerie picture but I hope it is quite obvious that this escape plan isn’t going to work. And if humanity really wants to reach Space in a meaningful way we probably need to be more than just space rich.

Exhibition period: 18.03–4.06
Gallery address: G/F, 82A Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai